Entertainment

On Saturday, I reviewed the Washington National Opera’s final production of the season, Massenet’s “Werther,” with a very good Werther, Francesco Meli.

Edited to add: Another view from Charles T. Downey on Ionarts.
Francesco Meli made a strong showing in the title role of the Washington National Opera production of Massenet's "Werther." (Photo by Scott Suchman) (Courtesy of Washington National Opera.) (Scott Suchman - Scott Suchman)

Joe Banno made two trips out to Strathmore for two notable performances. On Friday, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Charles Dutoit made what’s become an annual visit (though Dutoit takes his leave this week) with yet another fabulous concert. On Saturday, Andre Watts gave a downright leisurely reading of Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Other views: Charles T. Downey on Ionarts.com on the Philadelphia Orchestra; Tim Smith in the Baltimore Sun on Andre Watts and the BSO.

Tom Huizenga heard an uneven but risk-embracing concert by the Great Noise Ensemble on the new-music series at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, which they anchor.

In this weekend’s Washington Post, I took an advance look at an unusual Debussy concert by the Virginia Chamber Orchestra, led by Emil de Cou, that included the premiere of an arrangement by the CEO of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, as well as another piece arranged by de Cou himself.
"Fragments" (2005), by Ai Weiwei, assembled from fragments of dismantled Qing Dynasty temples, is on display at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Photo: Hutomo Wicaksono (Hutomo Wicaksono)

I also perused two installations by the Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, whose artistic output has been so overshadowed by his detention by the Chinese government of late that he is at risk of becoming a political figure first and an artist second in the minds of many Westerners. One hopes that taking a long hard look at the objects will help correct this course.

I was strongly impressed by what Liz Lerman and the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra managed to do last week with Debussy’s ”Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun,” and I said so in my review. I’m not recommending that everyone rush out and try to do this kind of thing, or saying that it’s a model to which all should aspire: just that it’s a powerful reminder of some of the possibilities of classical music that often remain unexplored, and a remarkable teaching tool that I doubt any of the student players who participated will ever forget.

Fortunately, the performance was videotaped, so you can form your own opinion. What do you think?

Above: The students of the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra worked with Liz Lerman to find a new approach to performing Debussy.

A catchup post with links to the past week’s worth of reviews. Charles T. Downey enjoyed Stefan Jackiw at the Kennedy Center. Samantha Buker checked out Denyce Graves as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Annapolis Symphony (complete with a work from composer-in-residence Gabriela Lena Frank). Robert Battey was generally impressed by the pianist Benjamin Hochman. And Joan Reinthaler appreciated the distinctive voice of the Dutch composer Michel van der Aa.

Catching up on reviews from the past few days. Robert Battey was sorely disappointed by the much-anticipated appearance of the Moscow Soloists under Yuri Bashmet and Misha Maisky. He also weighed in on the Perlman Quint Bailey Trio at the Jewish Community Center, which needed more rehearsal. (Link to come.)
Yuri Bashmet and the Moscow Soloists celebrated their anniversary last week at Strathmore — and disappointed our critic. (Photo by Oleg Nachinkin) (Courtesy of International Classical Artists) (Oleg Nachinkin - Oleg Nachinkin)

Cecelia Porter checked in on Sarah Chang playing the Mendelssohn concerto at another concert of staples by the National Philharmonic. She was also enthralled by the Washington Bach Consort under Reilly Lewis.

There have been an awful lot of Bach cello suites going around lately, but Charles T. Downey found much to admire in Tanya Tompkins’s long-postponed original-instrument performance at the Library of Congress.

Joan Reinthaler was impressed by the pianist Joyce Yang at Wolf Trap. She was a little less enthusiastic about the Kioi Sinfonietta in the echoing spaces of the National Gallery.
But the violinist Arabella Steinbacher shone with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. (Photo by Jiri Hronik) (Courtesy of IMG Artists) (Jiri Hronik - Jiri Hronik)

Joe Banno was delighted with Arabella Steinbacher’s Beethoven violin concerto with Jun Markl and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.